Under House Bill 998 Samual Huntsinger would need to get liability insurance in order to let his dog Scratch run through the snow covered streets of Richardson, Texas as he did Feb. 4, 2011.

State Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon (D-San Antonio) has introduced a bill that would require any Texan who owns a male dog which weighs 20 pounds or more and is not neutered to have an insurance policy covering injuries or damage caused by that dog when it is off the leash or out of the dog’s yard.

Seriously, is this one of the biggest societal problems that an overly-intrusive Progressive dolt has to to push?

Now, I’m from Texas and perhaps that’s why this is even more insulting. Granted, San Antonio is not a great bastion of Conservatism, but it is still Texas and this is a ridiculous push to dilute personal responsibility even further.

Liability statutes already make a person responsible for the damage their pet causes. Next we’ll need Child liability insurance for baseballs that go through neighbors windows or juice spilled on someone’s carpet.

So now an entire community of dog owners will be forced to subsidize the actions of one idiot that trains his Pit Bull to hate pizza delivery guys. The only people that will actually buy the insurance are the middle class and up. The very same people that rarely have dogs that maul mailmen in the first place (although U.S. mail personnel may become extinct shortly due to impending bankruptcy).

Owners are already liable for the actions of their pets. This is an unnecessary burden on pet owners and will certainly create yet another failed bureaucracy for the federal and/or state governments to run.

Dog owners in Texas are hot under the collar over a proposal that would require them to buy $100,000 insurance for their pooches.

And they’ve vowed not to roll over and play dead for what they’re calling yet another example of needless nanny-state legislation.

House Bill 998, introduced by state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-Texas, would require owners of unleashed, un-neutered male dogs over 20 pounds to carry a liability insurance policy of at least $100,000. Violations would be classified as a misdemeanor, and punishable by a fine up to $500.

McClendon said large, un-neutered dogs present the highest risk for property damage and injuries to others, and that owners should be held more responsible for their dogs’ behavior.

But getting HB 998 passed — the bill is currently under review by committee — will be no walk in the park.

"There is a movement inside the animal rights lobby to try to force mandatory spay and neuter laws across the states, and this is just another way to get at it," said Rob Sexton, vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. The group, which works with sporting dogs, calls the bill "unnecessary and unreasonable" and has asked Texas sportsmen to actively oppose it.

McClendon says she’s just trying to take a bite out of a loophole.

"Existing Texas law allows a dog ‘one bite’ without making the owner responsible. However, it is clearly not working to resolve problems with dog bites," she told FoxNews.com. "According to county animal-control personnel, over 400 dog bites occur in San Antonio each month."

McClendon said one of the victims was a member of her district who was seriously attacked by a dog whose owner was not willing to help pay for the resulting medical bills.

"Situations like this would be remedied under this bill, as insurance would help cover medical expenses incurred as a result of a dog attack," she said.

McClendon added that a revision of the bill is being drafted to apply the law only within incorporated municipal areas; it would also exclude dog owners in hunting and sporting activities in less-populated areas.

Trial Attorney Herb Subin said he thinks the proposal is a great idea.

"It’s the same as driving a car," Subin told FoxNews.com. "If you want to have the chance to have a dog that could cause an injury to someone else then the government has a very strong interest to make sure their citizens have the ability to be compensated."

But pet expert and author Wendy Diamond said the same argument can be made for children.

"There are more bullies at school playgrounds than dog fights in dog parks," Diamond insisted. "The government is overreaching with the proposed bill … when they demand liability insurance on children then this will be fair."

The Heartland Institute’s Charlie Vidal added that if McClendon is trying to reduce dog attacks, she’s barking up the wrong tree.

"While Jones McClendon wants to protect people from large dogs, her proposal would do just the opposite. Dog owners, knowing that they are insured against any wrongdoing their dog does, will take less care to ensure that Rex is a good boy," Vidal wrote on the institute’s blog.

"The whole issue of mandating insurance is being dealt with right now in federal courts with healthcare, and the latest decision says that it’s not constitutional to mandate health insurance. So how could you mandate insurance for your dog?" she told FoxNews.com.

Wiehl said the law already holds dog owners responsible for any damage done by their dogs. And victims of dog attacks that haven’t been properly compensated can always sue.

Save a Life…Adopt Just One More…Pet!

Everyday we read or hear another story about pets and other animals being abandoned in record numbers while at the same time we regularly hear about crazy new rules and laws being passed limiting the amount of pets that people may have, even down to one or two… or worse yet, none.

Nobody is promoting hoarding pets or animals, but at a time when there are more pets and animals of all types being abandoned or being taken to shelters already bursting at the seams, there is nothing crazier than legislating away the ability of willing adoptive families to take in just one more pet!!

Our goal is to raise awareness and help find homes for all pets and animals that need one by helping to match them with loving families and positive situations. Our goal is also to help fight the trend of unfavorable legislation and rules in an attempt to stop unnecessary Euthenization!!

“All over the world, major universities are researching the therapeutic value of pets in our society and the number of hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and mental institutions which are employing full-time pet therapists and animals is increasing daily.” ~ Betty White, American Actress, Animal Activist, and Author of Pet Love

There is always room for Just One More Pet. So if you have room in your home and room in your heart… Adopt Just One More! If you live in an area that promotes unreasonable limitations on pets… fight the good fight and help change the rules and legislation…

Save the Life of Just One More…Animal!

Recent and Seasonal Shots

As I have been fighting Cancer… A battle I am gratefully winning, my furkids have not left my side. They have been a large part of my recovery!! Ask Marion

Photos by the UCLA Shutterbug are protected by copyright, Please email at JustOneMorePet@gmail.com or find us on twitter @JustOneMorePet for permission to duplicate for commerical purposes or to purchase photos.

By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost our dear family member Rocky who had just outlived his “huep – na-napbdad”, Tom, by just a few months. His perspective would have been interesting!! Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been […]

By JoAnn, Marion, and Tim Algier This past week, we lost a dear family member, Rocky, who had just outlived his “human pet-dad”, Tom, by just a few months. It certainly would have been interesting to know what they thought and what experiences they had had in common!! Just this side of heaven is a […]

Bristol Palin: Fellow SixSeeds blogger Zeke Pipher has a great question: If they were dead puppy parts, or parts from homosexual babies, or babies that self-identified as adults, it’d be a different story. Meaning, it would be a story. But as it is, the fact that these fetuses don’t look like puppies, and their sexual […]

Family and friends of G.R. Gordon-Ross watch his private fireworks show at the Youth Sports Complex in Lawrence, Kan., Friday, June 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) Mercury News – Originally posted on July 02, 2013: The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Hot dogs, potato salad and, of course, fireworks. But Independence […]

Very few dogs have the experience of being parents these days and especially seeing their litters through the process of weaning and then actually being able to remain part of a pack with at least part of their family. Apachi is our Doggie Dad. He is a Chiweenie and here he is is watching his […]

By Marion Algier – Just One More Pet (JOMP) – Cross-Posted at AskMarion Anderson Cooper met Chaser, a dog who can identify over a thousand toys, and because of whom, scientists are now studying the brain of man’s best friend. Chaser is also the subject of a book: Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog […]

By Tamara – Dog Heirs – Cross-Posted at JOMP Quebec, Canada – Animals will be considered “sentient beings” instead of property in a bill tabled in the Canadian province of Quebec. The legislation states that "animals are not things. They are sentient beings and have biological needs." Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis proposed the bill and […] […]

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Great Book for Children and Pet Lovers… And a Perfect Holiday Gift

One More Pet
Emily loves animals so much that she can’t resist bringing them home. When a local farmer feels under the weather, she is only too eager to “feed the lambs, milk the cows and brush the rams.” The farmer is so grateful for Emily’s help that he gives her a giant egg... Can you guess what happens after that? The rhythmic verse begs to be read aloud, and the lively pictures will delight children as they watch Emily’s collection of pets get bigger and bigger.

If You Were Stranded On An Island…

A recent national survey revealed just how much Americans love their companion animals. When respondents were asked whether they’d like to spend life stranded on a deserted island with either their spouse or their pet, over 60% said they would prefer their dog or cat for companionship!